Dank associate questioned as net widens in NRL doping probe
Date March 23, 2013
Brad Walter
Chief Rugby League Writer
THE NRL doping scandal has moved beyond the period controversial sports scientist Stephen Dank was involved in the game, with several players who were at clubs not among the six named in the Australian Crime Commission report now believed to be under investigation.
While the 31 players to be interviewed by Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority investigators in coming weeks are understood to have either played for Cronulla in 2011 or be from one of the other five clubs, Fairfax Media has been told at least two moved last year from other clubs.
Until now, it had been assumed the investigation centred on links between Dank, who maintains he has done nothing wrong, and the Sharks, Manly, Newcastle, Canberra, North Queensland and Penrith, or players or staff at those clubs at the time of his involvement.
However, Dank has not been associated with an NRL club since parting company with Cronulla on May 29, 2011 and he was employed by AFL club Essendon last year.
Advertisement It has been alleged that some players at the Sharks and Manly, where he worked between 2006 and 2010, maintained contact with Dank against the advice of club officials.
Some players who moved to other clubs are also suspected of doing so, and may have introduced new teammates to Dank.
Players from Cronulla, the Sea Eagles and Cowboys are also alleged to have a relationship with Darren Hibbert, who has been described as an associate of Dank's.
Fairfax Media was told last month that Hibbert's name featured in the ACC report into doping and match fixing in Australian sport but was unable to identify who he was or details of his involvement in the NRL. Hibbert, who is nicknamed ''The Gazelle'', has also denied any wrongdoing.
He is the owner of Advanced Sports Nutrition and supplied supplements through his company to Dank's anti-ageing clinic at Bondi Junction.
He told ABC's 7.30 Report that he had a client list of 20 players from the Sharks, Manly and North Queensland to whom he sold supplements, including peptides - sometimes from the boot of his car at training grounds.
Both Dank and Hibbert have been interviewed by the ACC but ASADA does not have the power to compel them to attend an interview.
However, NRL players are required to co-operate or face sanctions and it was announced on Wednesday that 31 players would be interviewed by ASADA from next week, with one Canberra player and one Cronulla player believed to be the first notified.
Fairfax Media was told that 34 current NRL players and 19 former players, including some who are now in Super League, were named in the ACC report released on February 7.
NRL chief executive Dave Smith confirmed on Wednesday that ASADA wanted to interview about 10 former players and said he had been in contact with officials from Super League.
Not all players required for interviews are under suspicion and ASADA may believe they are able to provide information to enable others to be charged.
It is believed the ASADA investigators will table credit card receipts and phone records to convince players of the evidence they have already gathered.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/dank-associate-questioned-as-net-widens-in-nrl-doping-probe-20130322-2glbd.html#ixzz2OGgWqspK
